After a couple of rainy and windy days in the between Cagliari and Palermo, now
it’s the time to cycle the fourth part of the journey: Sicily.

Instead to cycle towards Trapani,
as I did three years ago, this time I preferred to point straightforward South in direction of Corleone, Sciacca, Agrigento.

Here with my friend Giuseppe in frontof Politeama Theatre
in Palermo

12OCT2015: Corleone - Sciacca78km/950m+/1510m-

Definitely a very positive day today: the bad weather
seems to be finally and definitely over, less climbing, a very welcome and
majestic long descent compared to yesterday, absolutely more beautiful landscapes
and yes … yes yes yes … finally back to “my” so much beloved Mediterranean
sea again !!!

Tonight, just a little before to get out for dinner,
I’ve been walking totally relaxed for the venues of the port of Sciacca
… excellent mood for me tonight !!

So, I’ve been talking with several fishermen on the
port wharves, at this time of the evening incredibly dotted with a number of
apparently idle fishing-boats, yes literally idle since fishing in these days
is indeed going to be suspended for a few days … a “biological suspension” they
explain to me !!

And then, just to close the day … a robust, yet very simple, fish&whitewine based fantastic dinner.

Sambuca di Sicilia

Sciacca

13OCT2015: Sciacca - Agrigento - Licata107km/1001m+/1039m-

A long, very long “SS115 cycling day”
… with minor detours like the one in Realmonte to allow a quick visit to a part
of the coastline that I didn’t see during my previous trip in Sicily, in other
words “la Scala dei Turchi”. A quick glance also to Agrigento and its Valle dei
Templi.

Worth to mention some tunnels that I
didn’t remember, fortunately not very long, often however not
illuminated, always extremely dirty, not maintained at all and, so far, totally unsafe !!

Then, as usual, litter, litter
everywhere, a lot of litter spread all over around; litter spread well beyond
any possible rational imagination. A shame, a great shame !!!!

"Realmonte: Scala dei Turchi"

"Agrigento: Valle dei Templi"

Licata: il porto

14OCT2015: Licata - Gela - Acate - Chiaramonte Gulfi89km/975m+/384m-

Totally disgusted,
rather than simply disappointed, for a coastline and its immediate sorroundings perhaps beautiful but at the same time "rubbish alike" I decided
at a certain point to abandon the planned route and get into the interior passing
through a dense cultivated area, far enough from the main road (SS115), quite
relaxing and without any traffic at all.

That's how today I
discovered by a pure chance the little nice village of Acate, then eventually
ending my today trip in Chiaramonte Gulfi, a little town on the top of the hill
from which I could see the whole flat below spacing from the sea to the vulcan
Etna.

I must say that here it's much better, nothing to do with what I've been seeing
yesterday: it's a pity, Sicily deserves much more!!!

Just feeling that today I wouldn’t be “exposed” any
more to further climbing … and rather guessing, so far, that I would only
expect a nice descent to the sea !! Unfortunately nothing like that !!

The cycling started with an initial 200 m climbing
under a thin rain that at a certain point did transform into an enchanting and
at the same time mysterious haze.

I must say that the all area, we are now in the
province of Ragusa, is a somehow delightful underpopulated place, plenty of
olive trees spread all over the surrounding hills and characterized by an infinity of typical field delimiting
dry-stone walls.

After Palazzolo Acreide the road started its slow and
very welcome descent to the sea.

Under a persistent yet not very strong rain I
finally ended-up my trip in Siracusa where immediately, of course, I pointed to
its historical little magic island of Ortigia.